After completely blocking Twitter access for more than a week, Turkey is now shutting off access to YouTube.

Turkey’s decision to block YouTube, as reported by the Verge, is sadly unsurprising. As early as March 7 Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened to block Google’s video service. When discussing YouTube, the prime minster proclaimed he “will not leave this nation at the mercy of YouTube and Facebook.”

At the heart of this ban lies claims of corruption regarding Erdogan’s leadership. Elections are approaching in Turkey, and Erdogan is quickly cutting off access to information that could damage his chances of reelection.

More information:

YouTube, Inc. is a consumer media company for people to watch and share original videos through a Web experience. It allows people to upload, tag, and share personal video clips; browse original videos uploaded by community members; fi... read more »